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The holiday season is traditionally a time for cheer, family gatherings and spending time with loved ones. Unfortunately, it can also cause some people to feel stressed and depressed.
According to research, Christmas is considered one of the six most stressful life events, along with divorce, moving house and changing jobs.
Last year, 8.9 million Australians (34.3%) felt more stressed than at Christmas the previous year, with more than 24% of Australians concerned about their mental health during the festive season.
This year, after more than 2 years of COVID-19 upheaval, natural disasters, rising inflation and dour predictions for the economy, you may be struggling to embrace the season of joy.
If you’re feeling increasingly stressed as Christmas approaches, read on for some tips on how to have a mentally healthy festive season.
Why People Feel Stressed at Christmas
Christmas and the end-of-year holiday period can be busy times leading to feelings of stress and depression.
There are various factors that can cause stress. You may feel stressed because you are worried about finances, concerned about relationships, or just feel exhausted after working long hours.
For many people stress at this time of year can be related to:
- Working long hours to get things finished before the holidays
- Worrying about the financial cost of buying Christmas presents, combined with the gloomy predictions about the economy
- Getting Christmas presents organised in time
- Overindulging or overloading your schedule with too many events
- Feeling pressure to celebrate, even though you may have fractious relationships with family members
- Reflecting on another year passing with feelings of regret for goals not achieved
Financial Stressors at Christmas
The expenses associated with gift-giving and holiday festivities, as well as the pressure of preparing and attending events, can make Christmas an extremely stressful time.
Statistics show more than 31% of Australians feel anxious about how they will pay for Christmas while more than 34% feel pressure to spend more than they can afford at Christmas.
The rising cost of living coupled with having less money in general to spend, while seeing an abundance of goods on display in shops, can trigger stress.
Finding ways to cut back and better manage finances during the period can help you feel less stressed.
Isolation and Loneliness at Christmas
Despite the festive cheer, Christmas can spark or reinforce feelings of loneliness and isolation, even if you’re not physically alone.
You may feel a heightened sense of loneliness at this time of year if you:
- Are already struggling or going through a difficult time
- Have had bad past experiences at Christmas time
- Are spending your first Christmas without a loved one who has passed away or family members who live far away
- Have difficult family relationships
- Have mental health challenges that make social situations overwhelming
- Are unwell, in a retirement home or hospital or have a disability
Whatever the reason, making positive plans for Christmas day can help you better cope with feelings of isolation or loneliness.
Try to stay active, a simple walk with a friend or coffee catch up is a great way to connect.
If you’re alone on Christmas day, consider volunteering to help a charity organisation give Christmas lunch to people in need. They will be grateful for your help, and you will gain a sense of satisfaction from giving to others through contributing to the well-being of your community.
Family Tensions at Christmas
For many the festive season is a time to bond with relatives, but for others it can create tension and heighten strained family relationships.
Despite best intentions, close proximity for several hours, unresolved arguments, free-flowing alcohol and trying to create the perfect Christmas can all contribute to conflict.
Sadly, each year, the Christmas period often brings with it a reported increase in police call-outs for family violence incidents and domestic abuse. Always seek help if you’re in danger.
For managing minor family tensions, consider strategies to help you through the day. Only focus on what you can control and take time to consider how you will respond to any difficult situations.
Christmas Can Be a Wonderful Time
Christmas can also have a positive impact on your mental health. Keeping a focus on the positives, sharing social connection, eating well and relaxing can all bring a sense of wellbeing.
Consider researching ways to add new meaning to Christmas or create new family traditions.
In general, be kind to yourself and others when planning what you will do and consider changing your expectations of the season to remove stress, while aiming for a mentally healthy festive break.
Here are some tips to help manage stress at Christmas.
Simple Tips to Manage Stress During Christmas
Plan ahead and share the load. Planning ahead and getting others involved in your plans early can prevent you from getting tired and overwhelmed. Make lists, assign jobs to family members and start early to avoid last minute shopping and organisational stress. Create a Christmas planner and break up tasks into smaller jobs to reduce your to-do list.
Forget perfect. Reframe Christmas, embrace imperfection to create your own holiday. It’s okay to change your expectations to remove stress and refocus on the ways you prefer to relax and enjoy the period.
Manage the budget. Finances are one of the biggest triggers when it comes to seasonal stress, so don’t make things even more difficult by overstretching yourself. Set an achievable budget for gifts, food, and social occasions and don’t let yourself go over it. If you have lots of friends or family members to buy for, suggest doing a Secret Santa instead.
Stay active. If you’re able, move around to improve your mood. Even small amounts of exercise can help you feel more positive. Go for a walk outdoors. A brisk 20-minute walk will release endorphins, helping you feel relaxed and happy, as well as helping boost your immune system.
Limit alcohol, eat well. If you want to feel well throughout the festive season, limit your alcohol and eat well. While it may be tempting to cope with stress by increasing alcohol consumption, the fact is alcohol acts as a depressant which can induce anxiety and increase stress.
Help others. Helping others or performing small acts of kindness is great way to boost self-esteem for your own mental wellbeing as well as support others who may be going through a difficult time.
Stay Healthy to Avoid Christmas Stress
Understanding what causes you stress and managing or changing behaviours that contribute to your stress can help you get through the Christmas period.
If you stay healthy – eat well, exercise and get enough sleep – you will be better able to cope with Christmas stress.
You’re Not Alone, Get Support
If you’re facing a difficult time over the Christmas and New Year period, it’s important to reach out and get support. It could be as simple as sending a text to a friend, making a phone call or inviting someone over for a cup of coffee to talk about what’s happening.
If you are experiencing distress or in immediate danger during the holiday period, call 000 for police and ambulance assistance. See these Helplines for other Government services or family violence support.
If you’re struggling with your mental health in the run-up to Christmas, our psychologists can help you work through your feelings and deal with stress through counselling services. Contact us to find out more about how we can help.
We wish everyone a mentally healthy festive season.